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October 12, 2011

Recap of Part Two of “Eyes Wide Open,” a Dialogue Series on Racism

On Monday evening, HQB hosted the second part of Eyes Wide Open, a four part series on “racism, discrimination, prejudice and meeting the other” organized by the Saint Paul Interfaith Network (SPIN). As with the first part of the dialogue series, I was in attendance, frantically scribbling down notes and snapping photos for this blog post.

Following a greeting by HQB Executive Director Jonathan Palmer, Rev. Jim Bear Jacobs, a SPIN organizer, commented on the evening’s theme of “Invisible Wounds: Experiencing Everyday Dehumanization” by reminding us that October 10th is Columbus Day. Jacobs, an American Indian man, pointed out the white bias involved in a holiday that celebrates the “discovery” of America. In order to forgive and forget, Jacobs said he would need to see historical injustices against Native peoples acknowledged and addressed. Instead, the Dakota prairies still bear the imprint of wagon wheels from white settlers: “The land itself has not forgotten and if the land hasn’t forgotten then we who are created from it cannot forget,” Jacobs said.

Next, Rabbi Amy Eilberg, the event moderator, introduced herself and asked the panelists to discuss an aspect of systemic racism they would like the audience to better understand. Prof. Mahmoud El-Kati of Macalester College characterized race as a “modern myth. Contrary the popular caricature of the racist as “Bubba,” the beer guzzling-pickup driving-gun toting Southerner, the true racist tends to be a “man of ideas” capable of producing 500 page tracts on race. Bubba, El-Kati explained, “is a creation of white supremacy, not the source of it.” The second panelist, Jennifer Godinez of the Minnesota Minority Education Partnership, discussed racial inequality in the public school system, stressing the importance of dismantling the myth that minority students “don’t care” about education. Finally, civil rights activist Lequetta Diggs contrasted the more overt racism of the slavery, Jim Crow, and segregation eras with contemporary racism — which she described as “vague,” “difficult to see,” “almost impossible to prove,” and “easy to deny.”

After having each of the panelists expand upon their responses to her first question, Eilberg posed another: “how do we confront denial?” Diggs, a former mental health professional, said that the first step is to acknowledge that we have a problem with racial disparities in such areas as homeownership, poverty, and education. El-Kati stressed the pervasiveness of racism, calling it “more basic [to America] than apple pie, baseball, or whatever you can name” and reminding the audience that even Thomas Jefferson held slaves and embraced racist ideology. El-Kati’s sharp words were tempered by his insistence that he wasn’t accusing anyone in particular of being a racist. In his words, racism is, rather, a “public evil that causes private pain.”

Eilberg’s had the panelists conclude by describe their hopes that at least some individuals of color will be able to “maintain their human dignity despite the system working against them.” Godinez spoke of her hopes for transforming the educational system, while Diggs contrasted a question her granddaughter asked her – “were you a descendent of slaves?” – with the question she hopes will someday be asked of her granddaughter – “what was it like to live when black people didn’t have equality with whites?” El-Kati stated his view that the future depends on to “what degree we liberate ourselves from a vocabulary” that cannot adequately describe reality. Black and white are mere social constructs used to advance the doctrine of white supremacy, El-Kati said, and it is up to us to choose between “genuflecting” to that doctrine and “resisting” it.

As the above summary indicates, the panelists did not shy away from strong language like “white supremacy” and “systemic racism.” While this language was, in one sense, challenging for the audience — especially for those of us who have had the good fortune not to be on its receiving end of racism — in another sense it was refreshing to see complacent attitudes called out and critiqued. Moreover, even as the panelists opened our eyes to the “invisible wounds” inflicted by contemporary racism, they sounded notes of hope and optimism, which was also refreshing. None of the panelists seemed to think that this dragon cannot be slain, provided that people of good will (of whatever color) are willing to go to battle. The subtle but consistent optimism of the panel was reflected in the lyrics of a slave song performed by the Minnesota Gospel Music Workshop’s performance at the close of the evening:

Hold on just a little while longer
Hold on just a little while longer
Hold on just a little while longer
Everything will be all right.